Americans for Prosperity goes after California’s Scott Peters

Americans for Prosperity is setting its sights on a new Democratic target: California Rep. Scott Peters.

Starting Monday, the conservative group will spend about $145,000 on ads to air on San Diego-area cable TV stations in an attempt to weaken the freshman congressman. The commercials, according to a Republican source familiar with the purchase, will air until March 2.

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Americans for Prosperity, which has been linked to the billionaire Koch brothers, has rapidly emerged as the dominant Republican outside group in the 2014 midterm election. The Peters ads are the latest front in its cross-country push to prop up Republicans and unseat Democrats in high-profile House and Senate races.

The group is currently involved in three congressional districts in Florida. On Wednesday, it launched a TV ad, praising GOP Rep. Steve Southerland, who is embroiled in a competitive race in Florida’s Panhandle. And on Thursday, The Washington Post reported that the group would air advertisements against two Florida Democratic congressmen, Joe Garcia and Alan Grayson. Those ads, according to the Post, total $400,000.

Americans for Prosperity already has spent more than $4 million in House races and about $15 million in Senate races this cycle. A spokesman for the organization would not comment on the Peters ads.

Peters is facing a challenging race against Republican Carl DeMaio, an openly gay former San Diego councilman.